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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23933182">Aflame</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wundersmidget/pseuds/Wundersmidget'>Wundersmidget</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Love, One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:20:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>846</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23933182</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wundersmidget/pseuds/Wundersmidget</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Barbara receives a visitor after a busy night in Gotham.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barbara Gordon &amp; Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Aflame</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Gotham was aflame.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not in any metaphorical sense mind you, Gotham was literally on fire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been yet another one of Joker’s maniacal schemes, seemingly random city blocks, warehouses and apartments all across the city, countless people had died, but the Bats and the emergency services were doing what they could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Barbara had been at her computer late into the night, sitting there even as an apartment two blocks away from her went down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She remembered when three of the warehouses by the dock burst into flames, they had lost an entire team of firefighters when some hidden cases of Joker gas had been set off and they had all inhaled the fumes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tortured laughter she heard over Jason’s comm would haunt her for a long time to come.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, the flames had started to die down, it wasn’t a victory, nothing ever was with the Joker, as long as he caused chaos he won. Fires still burned in the distance, but it was no longer growing, soon the fires would have burned out and the focus would turn to finding the survivors and identifying the bodies of those that didn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Batman and his allies had been out all night, fighting off the flames as they carried people to safety. The Joker had been captured by Bruce, Damian and Dick while Tim stopped Jason from killing the mad clown.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robin had been sent back to the manor with Spoiler, despite his protests, everyone could tell that he was dead tired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not that everyone else wasn’t, you could even hear it in Bruce’s voice, but Damian was still a kid, he didn’t need to be out there, seeing the horrors of the city.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A knock sounded on her window, wheeling around, she saw Dick, still in his Nightwing costume, grinning sheepishly outside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smiling fondly as she opened the window, Barbara let Dick in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His suit was charred and scorched from the flames that had consumed Gotham, his hair was singed and Barbara was sure that she saw burns on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite his injuries he seemed relieved, happy even, he had removed his mask and his eyes shone with cheer and joy. Looking into his eyes, Barbara was once again reminded of just how much she loved him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did great today.” She said, she meant it too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick had been the one to save the entirety of the Gotham City Orphanage’s children, the Matron was in a critical condition and three kids had minor burns, but that was all. Without Dick it would have been a lot worse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dick nodded slowly, Barbara realised just how much the past 5 hours had weighed down on him. In the distance another siren rang out as a fire truck stormed past the building, Dick stiffened at this but relaxed when Barbara grabbed his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t, you’ve done enough.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked like he was about to resist, and realistically Barbara knew that once he set his mind to it, there was no stopping him, but then a strange look came over his face and he turned to face her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Barbara was confused, what was he thanking her for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if reading her mind, Dick continued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for always being there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘It’s nothing.” Barbara responded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dick turned around to face her, fiddling with one of the pockets on his utility belt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s everything to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Barbara could respond, Dick continued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even when I cut ties with Bruce, you were there for me, wherever I was, whenever I needed help, you were by my side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You say that it’s nothing, and to you, it is, it’s just another thing you do, another constant in life, and that’s why it’s everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turning away from her again he finished up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are the one thing that keeps me sane, when Deathstroke forced me to join him, I didn’t let myself be turned by thinking of you, the main reason that I’m not like Bruce, that I’m not trapped in an abyss of revenge is because of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess what I’m trying to say is…” He said as he spun around and got on one knee, a small box in hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flipping up the lid to show a beautiful ring he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Barbara Gordon, will you marry me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Barbara was shocked, this was what she had wanted for such a long time, he actually wanted to get married! For so long she had thought that she was lesser in his eyes because of her wheelchair, but that didn’t seem to matter to him, that was just like Dick, that was one of the many reasons why she loved him. She knew what the answer was before she even had time to process the words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nightwing jumped up with passion, putting the ring on her finger and then kissing her passionately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she relaxed in his arms, Barbara found herself content, for the first time in so long she felt so happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you Dick Grayson.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And somehow, she realised that he knew that too.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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